How to fit and install DRL Vehicle Daylight Running Lights - YouTube (fitting's different though)Can't see anyone noticing this, but just to let you know: If DRL's are retro fitted they have to comply as if they were factory fit - this includes position on the vehicle. Many people buy bright LED's for regular fogs and recode/rewire to have them as DRL's. Personal fave DRL's are S6 headlights, don't ask me how they fit though haha. If you're after cheap and simple eBay's DRL headlights are probably plug and play.

I don't understand why they do though, yeah the sh1t led strip flexible DRL cable things are shocking, no doubt about it, but if they are proper cluster type DRL's then as long as they are positioned in a decent looking place and fit well then I think they are fine.

I really took my time choosing my DRL's because I wanted them to look as factory fitted as possible, so I measured the gap I wanted to use in my bumper and searched for a cluster type DRL that would be suitable. In the end I got some Ring 18 SMD LED DRL's which only required a slight trim and re-shape of the front bumper to get them sat into the gap nicely.

The result........

As for wiring them in, mine are the dimming and 'follow me home' DRL's which half the brightness when you turn your sidelights or headlights on and stay on for around 10 seconds after you turn the engine off so you have lights on to guide you to your front door at night, so there are 3 wires per DRL cluster, a permanent live, a switched live, and an earth. The permenant live connects to the live on the battery, the switched live connects to the live side light wire on the loom going to the headlight multiplug, and the earth can either be connected to the loom earth or to a suitable earthing point on the body of the car. Searching for the sidelight live on the loom isn't as easy as using a circuit tester those with canbus wiring, so I had to search the net for headlight multiplug pin out diagrams, found easily enough and helped out no end.

They are easy to install, just wire direct to battery , Black and red cable, the third cable is either for switching them off at night or dimming to a reduced output at night, this should be scotchlocked or soldered into the sidelight circuit (battery connections already wired so drls are on with engine running ,remove headlight plug switch on sidelight only place third cable along each pin of plug until the drls dim or go out model specific, that is the cable you require) and that's it hope this helps. Regards Gary

How to fit and install DRL Vehicle Daylight Running Lights - YouTube (fitting's different though)Can't see anyone noticing this, but just to let you know: If DRL's are retro fitted they have to comply as if they were factory fit - this includes position on the vehicle. Many people buy bright LED's for regular fogs and recode/rewire to have them as DRL's. Personal fave DRL's are S6 headlights, don't ask me how they fit though haha. If you're after cheap and simple eBay's DRL headlights are probably plug and play.People on this forum will slate DRL's either way

Click to expand...

Jake is totally correct, DRLs must be fitted within strict guidlines (European Union Directive 2008/89/EC), once fitted your vehicle has to abide by those rules also when it comes to a Ministry of Transport test or inspection.

"European Union Directive 2008/89/EC requires all passenger cars and small delivery vans first type approved on or after 7 February 2011 in the EU to come equipped with daytime running lights.[SUP][/SUP][SUP][/SUP][SUP][/SUP] The mandate will extend to trucks and buses in August 2012.[SUP][/SUP] Functional piggybacking, such as operating the headlamps or front turn signals or fog lamps as DRLs, is not permitted;[SUP][/SUP] the EU Directive requires functionally specific daytime running lamps compliant with ECE Regulation 87 and mounted to the vehicle in accord with ECE Regulation 48.[SUP][/SUP] DRLs compliant with R87 emit white light of between 400 and 1200 candela[SUP]."[/SUP][SUP][/SUP]

Jake is totally correct, DRLs must be fitted within strict guidlines (European Union Directive 2008/89/EC), once fitted your vehicle has to abide by those rules also when it comes to a Ministry of Transport test or inspection.

"European Union Directive 2008/89/EC requires all passenger cars and small delivery vans first type approved on or after 7 February 2011 in the EU to come equipped with daytime running lights. The mandate will extend to trucks and buses in August 2012. Functional piggybacking, such as operating the headlamps or front turn signals or fog lamps as DRLs, is not permitted; the EU Directive requires functionally specific daytime running lamps compliant with ECE Regulation 87 and mounted to the vehicle in accord with ECE Regulation 48. DRLs compliant with R87 emit white light of between 400 and 1200 candela[SUP]."[/SUP]

Click to expand...

Cor, that all sounded soooooo boring!

My DRL's came with instructions with the tolerance levels of exactly where it's legal to mount them. I don't get it though cos loads of new cars have them in all sorts of random places which don't fall into that legal requirement. One car in particular which I can think of straight away is the brand new clio, the DRL's on that are mounted high up inbetween the headlights and are close together just either side of the Renault diamond badge, and that's one place where the instructions in my DRL's said not to mount them!

Useful Searches

About US

Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. We are working every day to make sure our community is one of the best.